Google maps will help with times between places, like Taunton to Penzance (top of Devon to bottom of Corwall) is about 2.5 hours drive. I'm afraid I can't help much, but I can say that most places on the coast are beautiful. We stayed in a cottage in Rock and it was lovely. Do you have any specific questions? Although we don't live near there, Sou is English and could have some ideas

The distances aren't very great, but in some of the more remote coastal areas of Cornwall, the roads are really narrow and winding (often single lane with passing places).

The traffic is heavy, especially in the summer tourist season, on all the roads, but progress is still reasonable on main roads like the A30. Look at the numbers of the roads when you zoom in on Google maps. A-roads are the more major ones and the traffic usually flows okay away from the town centers. B-roads are smaller but still usually two-lane. It's the little windy roads without any numbers that get really jammed.

slim's suggestion of putting the places you might want to travel between into Google maps is a good one. Remember to put the likely start or arrive times in too so that you get a good estimate of the likely delays caused by traffic.

How are you intending to travel? Hire car, public transport, or what?

There are a few tourist traps such as Land's End. The coast is beautiful there but no more so than lots of other places - however it's overrun with too many tourists and there are ugly tacky gift shops - my advice is to go somewhere less famous and spend some time exploring on foot, or maybe hire a bike.

I recommend:

Lynton/Lynmouth (all the same place really) on the north Devon coast - it's a steep coast with cliff railways and such and the villages perched on what land is buildable

Exmoor and/or Dartmoor National Parks if you like open wild places.

Plymouth if you're interested in naval history and ships

Torquay or Newquay if you want to see traditional (though crowded) British seaside resorts with beaches and such

The Lizard heritage coast (area around Mullion, Lizard, Cadgwith) if you want to see coastal features similar to Land's End, but with less overcrowding

We spent a night in Plymouth and I enjoyed it. We walked the promenade from the rail station down to the Hoe and at the Hoe, happened upon naval air show, which was a brief fun diversion.

We arrived in Penzance by train, stayed three days, then moved to St. Ives, for one night. We bused to Tintagel and stayed three days.

We enjoyed Penzance, but happened there in the midst of Mazy Daze, a community summer festival on summer solstice. I don't recommend visiting picturesque St. Ives at that time of year, due to the gulls nesting (it might be fine this time of year). Tintagel is out of the way and rather difficult to get to on public transit, but I highly recommend it as a destination. I did a 'magical mystery tour' out of Penzance and enjoyed it immensely; the driver selected much of the coastline and focused on the local history of smugglers, scavangers, and scrappers. Don't miss St. Micheal's Mount in Penzance Bay

If I were there, I think I'd be tempted to take the ferry out of Penzance to the Scilly Isles.

So I am trying to decide what to do with the free days in between. Will have a car.

Was thinking

Exeter - Monday/ & Tuesday morning...

Then maybe Dartmoor/Tavistock/Plymouth?

Wednesday - Drive to Falmouth - sightsee

Thursday - St Ives, Truro?

Friday - Penzance & drive to Bournemouth (evening function)

I know I can't see/do that many things - but would like to enjoy Cornwall for a few days. If you could help me with a feasible itinerary that is doable and enjoyable I would be grateful. also, this will be in late March (cold & rainy)

Have you done the 'Woo Central' sites of Stonehenge, Avebury, Glastonbury, and Bath, along with the option to nip in to the Cotwolds? I ask because they are all grouped north of your two functions, while Cornwall proper is considerably west ('considerably' being a relative term UK/US-wise).

Bournemouth is roughly the same distance east of Exeter as Penzance is west of Exeter.

I think if I were intent on Cornwall from Exeter, and I was driving, I'd head west from Exeter to Tintagel, then southwest down the north coast to Newquay and St. Ives, then bump over to Penzance, and then back east along the south coast, through St. Michael's Mount, Falmouth, St. Austell, Plymouth, Torquay, Exemouth, Weymouth, and finally, to Bournemouth.

The 'Woo Central' route is north to Glastonbury, then clockwise through Bath, the Cotswolds, Avebury, and Salisbury, before arriving back in Bournemouth.

Thanks! This gives me some good ideas to go over. Will google Tintagel, St. Austell, Exemouth, Weymouth etc... see what they look like as places to visit.

We do want to stay in Cornwall area, will be in London/Windsor prior to Exeter.

Any suggestions for anything relating to steam trains?

Not interested so much in aviation museums, but the Maritime Museum in Falmouth was on my list.

Oooo...Yeah, that sounds good.

Steam trains in Cornwall? No, I know of none. This does not mean there aren't any. I am given to understand that there are a number of 'cliff railways' in locations along the south coast, but I'm not sure exactly where. I suspect that these are basically funiculars. In my narrow experience, the narrow gauge steam railways tend to be further north, in central and northwestern Wales.

I think you're trying to pack too many places into only three days (plus two part-days). I would aim to cut at least three places from your itinerary. You know best which places you think are the most important - maybe split them into two groups - a 'must see' group and an 'if time allows' group. Also think about which places will suffer most in the event of bad weather.

I think you're trying to pack too many places into only three days (plus two part-days). I would aim to cut at least three places from your itinerary. You know best which places you think are the most important - maybe split them into two groups - a 'must see' group and an 'if time allows' group. Also think about which places will suffer most in the event of bad weather.

Right, I really don't expect to get to all those places. Plus, if we are really enjoying one particular stop - we will just stay there and forget about the others.